Japan's Aokigahara forest has a deep mythology surrounding it that has made it a popular cinematic venue. Known as the "Suicide Forest", the location was recently used as the setting for Gus Vant's drama, Sea of Trees, which stars Matthew McConaughey. But it's also a natural setting for horror, and last year Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer signed on to star in The Forest, a supernatural thriller directed by Jason Zada. Today MTV has debuted the first trailer, and it looks like a film that could scare up a lot of attention during 2016's early months.
Dormer plays Sara, an American woman who goes to Japan in search of her twin sister, who went missing after being spotted in the Suicide Forest. Despite being warned to "stay on the path", Sara ventures into the forest where she is confronted by the angry and tortured souls of the dead
Using the Suicide Forest's story as a springboard is a brilliant idea. Let's just hope the film is scary enough to live up to the potential. The Forest opens next year on January 8th. Dormer will be seen next in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2, and then in another horror film, Patient Zero.
